O Lord, How Shall I Meet You? A Classic Advent Hymn

hymn, n [from the Latin hymnus, song of praise] 1: a song of praise to God 2: a metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service

For centuries, Christians have sung hymns in order to praise God. Anyone who knows a hymn like “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” or “Now Thank We All Our God” recognizes how well the hymnody of the Church enables God’s people to raise their voices in thanksgiving for all that He has given.

Hymns are indeed songs of praise to God. Still, a dictionary definition can’t begin to grasp the riches of the Church’s hymns. For example, some hymns are not so much praise to God as they are prayer. Hymns can be confessions of sin or confessions of faith. Some hymns give praise to God by telling the story of what He has done. Finally, there are many hymns that masterfully teach the Christian faith, even as they lead God’s people to praise their Maker and Redeemer.

For an example of how rich our hymns can be, consider the Advent hymn of Paul Gerhardt, “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You.” In the opening lines, the purpose for our Advent observance is clearly sounded:

O Lord, how shall I meet You,How welcome You aright?Your people long to greet You,My hope, my heart’s delight!

Before celebrating Jesus’ birth, Christians do well to prepare their hearts for His coming. One way that is done during Advent is by recalling God’s Old Testament people and the centuries-long wait they endured before God finally sent the promised Savior. Echoing the words of Isaiah 9:2, Gerhardt writes in stanza 5:

Rejoice, then, you sad-hearted,Who sit in deepest gloom.

We have much in common with ancient Israel, for we often find ourselves overshadowed by the darkness of sin and the trials of life. But the coming of the Savior has changed all that. Here’s how Gerhardt expresses the good news:

Despair not; He is near you.

Similarly, in stanza 3 Gerhardt beautifully describes both our sinful condition and our new status as forgiven children of God:

I lay in fetters, groaning;You came to set me free.I stood, my shame, bemoaning;You came to honor me.

Confession of sins? Yes. Proclamation of forgiveness? Most definitely! Prayer, praise...and much more. That’s what our hymns are all about. As you sing them, give thanks to God for this great gift to His Church. Here is the whole hymn:

1. How shall I meet Thee? How my heartReceive her Lord aright?Desire of all the earth Thou art!My hope, my sole delight!